Adhesive cartridges, conventionally utilized in connection with the performance of various bonding operations in conjunction with, or as part of, different maintenance or construction projects, usually comprise a pair of compartments wherein a first one of the two compartments is adapted to contain a resin constituent or component of the adhesive mixture, while a second one of the two compartments is adapted to contain an activator constituent or component of the adhesive mixture. The two compartments can be arranged with respect to each other either in a concentric mode or alternatively in a side-by-side mode. In addition, depending upon the particular application, that is, the particular environment, location, and intended use of the structures being bonded together, as well as, of course the particular resin and activator components or constituents to be utilized together, the volumes of the two compartments can either be equal, whereby equal volumes of the resin and activator components or constituents are adapted to be dispensed, or alternatively, the volume of, for example, the resin component or constituent compartment is substantially greater than that of the activator component or constituent whereby a proportionally greater amount of the resin component or constituent will be dispensed with respect to the amount of the activator component or constituent that is to be dispensed. A piston mechanism is disposed within the rear region of each compartment of the cartridge, and when a suitable plunger-rod mechanism, of a dispensing tool, is operatively engaged with a respective one of the piston mechanisms disposed within each one of the cartridge compartments, so as to accordingly move the piston mechanisms forwardly in the dispensing direction, each piston mechanism will, in turn, causes the particular adhesive mixture component or constituent disposed within its respective compartment to be moved forwardly toward a dispensing nozzle or mixing chamber from which the mixed adhesive components or constituents are in fact dispensed.
Examples of such aforenoted dual-compartment, two-component adhesive cartridges are of course well-known and are exemplified by means of the adhesive cartridges disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,919 which issued to Ernst on Sep. 20, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,280 which issued to Robinson on Oct. 14, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,904 which issued to Horner et al. on Nov. 26, 2002. As disclosed within FIGS. 1 and 2, which substantially correspond to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the aforenoted patent to Robinson, the dual-component cartridge dispenser is generally indicated by the reference character 10 and is seen to comprise a unitary cartridge body 12 which, in turn, comprises two substantially cylindrical hollow cartridges or vessels 14,16. The cartridges or vessels 14,16 are adapted to respectively contain a suitable liquid adhesive component, such as, for example, an epoxy resin component and a hardener component. The cartridge body 12 further comprises a pair of dispensing nozzles 20,22 which are respectively disposed in fluidic communication with the cartridges or vessels 14,16, and a cap 42 is integrally formed with, and frangibly connected to, the discharge end portions of the dispensing nozzles 20,22 by means of frangible seal portions 48,49. Receptacles 50,52 are defined within the cap 42, and plug members 58,60 respectively project into the receptacles 50,52 from a base portion 59 of the cap 42. When the cap 42 is removed from the dispensing nozzles 20,22, by means, or as a result, of a suitable twisting operation which effectively fractures or ruptures the frangible seal portions 48,49, dispensing ports, defined within the dispensing end portions of the dispensing nozzles 20,22, are accordingly uncovered so as to permit dispensing of the adhesive mixture components therefrom. When a particular adhesive dispensing operation is completed, the cap 42 is accordingly manipulated so as to insert the plug members 58,60 into the dispensing ports so as to effectively reseal the same such that additional dispensing of the adhesive mixture components can be performed at subsequent times.
A second conventional dual-component adhesive dispensing device is disclosed within FIG. 3, which substantially corresponds to FIG. 1 of the aforenoted Ernst patent, and is generally indicated by the reference character 10. More particularly, the adhesive dispensing device 10 comprises a body member 12 which includes first and second chambers or compartments 14,16, and a neck portion 18. Dispensing ports 26,28, defined within an end face 21 of the neck portion 18, are fluidically connected to the chambers or compartments 14,16 through means of fluid passageways 17, 19, and it is seen that the chambers or compartments 14,16, as well as the fluid passageways 17,19, are separated by means of a web 15. The upstream region 22 of the neck portion 18 is externally threaded as at 24 so as to be threadedly engaged by means of an internally threaded portion 54 of an adjusting nut member 50, and the downstream region 20 of the neck portion 18 is radially recessed such that an upstream annular wall portion 38 of a dispensing nozzle 36 is radially interposed between the downstream region 20 of the neck portion 18 and the nut member 50. The nut member 50 also comprises an annular lip portion 52 for retaining the dispensing nozzle 36 seated upon the neck portion 18.
An outer peripheral portion of the downstream region 20 of the neck portion 18 has an annular groove 32 defined therein for housing an 0-ring seal member 30, and it is seen that the dispensing nozzle 36 also comprises an axially extending dispensing tube 44, within which there is disposed a static mixer 46, and a radially oriented shoulder portion 37. The dispensing tube 44 has an axially extending slot 42 defined therein for accommodating a fluid divider 34 which effectively comprises an integral extension of the web 15 and which effectively prevents rotational movement of the dispensing nozzle 36. Accordingly, it can be appreciated that when the adjusting nut member 50 is fully threaded onto the threaded region 24 of the neck portion 18, internal sealing surfaces 48,49 of the shoulder portion 37 of the dispensing nozzle 36 will effectively block and close off the dispensing ports 26,28 such that dispensing of the adhesive materials are prevented. Conversely, when the adjusting nut member 50 is partially unthreaded with respect to the threaded region 24 of the neck portion 18, the dispensing ports 26,28 will be uncovered and opened so as to permit the adhesive materials to be dispensed.
With reference now being made to FIG. 4, which substantially corresponds to FIG. 4 of the aforenoted patent to Horner et al., a third conventional dual-component adhesive dispensing device is disclosed, and is generally indicated by the reference character 10. More particularly, it is seen that the adhesive dispensing device 10 of Horner et al., in a manner similar to that of the aforenoted devices of Robinson and Ernst, comprises a pair of cylinders 12, 14 for containing two different reactive components of, for example, an epoxy glue compound. The cylinders 12,14 are mechanically joined together by means of a bridge plate 20, and a common dispensing outlet is disclosed at 22. A pair of dispensing conduits or passageways 54,56 are defined within the dispensing outlet 22 and are respectively fluidically connected to the storage cylinders 12,14. The external periphery of the dispensing outlet 22 is provided with threads 36 for threadedly mounting a dispensing nozzle thereon, and a divider wall 55 separates the dispensing conduits or passageways 54,56 so as to ensure that the two reactive components of the compound are in fact maintained separate until the components are dispensed from the dispensing ports 168, 170. A cap 26 comprises a pair of dependent plugs 46,48, and the cap 26 is initially integrally secured upon the upper end portion of the dispensing outlet 22 by means of frangible connections 58 defined between the lower peripheral areas of the plugs 46,48 and the upper end portions of each one of the dispensing conduits or passageways 54,56. A through slot or aperture 52 is defined within an upper region of the cap member 26 so as to accommodate a screwdriver or similar tool by means of which leverage forces can be impressed upon the cap member 26 so as to separate the same from the dispensing outlet 22 as a result of the fracture or rupture of the frangible connections 58 interconnecting the cap member 26 and the dispensing outlet 22. Accordingly, when the cap member 26 has been separated from the dispensing outlet 22, and after a material dispensing operation has been performed, the cap member 26 may be replaced upon the dispensing outlet 22 by inserting the plug members 46,48 respectively within the dispensing ports 168, 170 of the dispensing outlet 22. An abutment flange 50, disposed upon the lower region of the cap member 26, in conjunction with an upwardly projecting divider wall extension 42 which is adapted to be disposed within an interior recess 43 of the cap member 26, limits the extent to which the plug members 46,48 can be respectively inserted into the dispensing ports 168,170 when the cap member 26 is replaced upon the dispensing outlet 22 in order to preserve the viability of the components disposed within the storage cylinders 12,14.
While all of the aforenoted dual-component dispensing devices have been commercially successful, each one of the devices poses or exhibits operational or structural drawbacks or deficiencies wherein it would be desirable to rectify such drawbacks or deficiencies in order to provide a dispensing device which would be simpler and more economical to manufacture, as well as exhibiting enhanced dispensing characteristics. More particularly, it is noted that the dispensing device of Ernst comprises a relatively large number of components which must be manufactured and assembled, while the dispensing devices of Horner et al. and Robinson sometime exhibit difficulties in achieving the proper, clean, and accurate rupture or fracture of the frangible portions integrally interconnecting the cap members to the dispensing outlets or nozzles whereby, in turn, the dispensing outlet ports are in fact fully uncovered and opened. If such operations are not in fact properly achieved, the dispensing of the adhesive mixture components, particularly in the desired percentage proportions, will not always be able to be achieved which can of course adversely affect the resulting chemical composition, and the bonding capabilities, of the adhesive mixture.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved dual-compartment adhesive dispensing device or cartridge which effectively comprises a relatively small number of component parts so as to simplify, and render more economical, the manufacture and assembly of the dispensing device or cartridge, and which effectively incorporates structure integrally connecting the cap member of the cartridge, in a stable manner, to the divider wall of the dispensing cartridge, which separates the two adhesive component compartments from each other, such that when the cap member of the cartridge is separated from the divider wall, and the adhesive mixture component compartments, of the dispensing cartridge, the fracture or rupture of the frangible sections interconnecting the cap member to the divider wall will facilitate a clean and accurate separation of the cap member from the divider wall such that the dispensing ports of the dual-compartment adhesive dispensing cartridge will be fully uncovered and opened.